Revelation 2:17

2:17 The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers, ¹  I will give him some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white ²  stone, ³  and on that stone will be written a new name that no one can understand ⁴  except the one who receives it.’

Revelation 10:8

10:8 Then ⁵  the voice I had heard from heaven began to speak ⁶  to me ⁷  again, ⁸  “Go and take the open ⁹  scroll in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.”

Revelation 13:1

The Two Beasts

13:1 Then ¹⁰  I saw a beast coming up out of the sea. It ¹¹  had ten horns and seven heads, and on its horns were ten diadem crowns, ¹²  and on its heads a blasphemous name. ¹³ 

Revelation 21:9

The New Jerusalem Descends

21:9 Then ¹⁴  one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven final plagues came and spoke to me, ¹⁵  saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb!”

[2:17]  ¹ tn Or “who is victorious”; traditionally, “who overcomes.” The pendent dative is allowed to stand in the English translation because it is characteristic of the author’s style in Revelation.

[2:17]  ² tn Or “bright.” The Greek term λευκός (leukos) can refer either to the color white (traditional here) or to an object that is bright or shining, either from itself or from an outside source of illumination (L&N 14.50; 79.27).

[2:17]  ³ tn On the interpretation of the stone, L&N 2.27 states, “A number of different suggestions have been made as to the reference of ψῆφος in this context. Some scholars believe that the white ψῆφος indicates a vote of acquittal in court. Others contend that it is simply a magical amulet; still others, a token of Roman hospitality; and finally, some have suggested that it may represent a ticket to the gladiatorial games, that is to say, to martyrdom. The context, however, suggests clearly that this is something to be prized and a type of reward for those who have ‘won the victory.’”

[2:17]  ⁴ tn Or “know”; for the meaning “understand” see L&N 32.4.

[10:8]  ⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[10:8]  ⁶ tn The participle λαλοῦσαν (lalousan) has been translated as “began to speak.” The use of πάλιν (palin) indicates an ingressive idea.

[10:8]  ⁷ tn Grk “with me.” The translation “with me” implies that John was engaged in a dialogue with the one speaking to him (e.g., Jesus or an angel) when in reality it was a one-sided conversation, with John doing all the listening. For this reason, μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ (met’ emou, “with me”) was translated as “to me.”

[10:8]  ⁸ tn Grk “again, saying.” The participle λέγουσαν (legousan) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[10:8]  ⁹ tn The perfect passive participle ἠνεῳγμένον (hnewgmenon) is in second attributive position and has been translated as an attributive adjective.

[13:1]  ⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

[13:1]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “having” (a continuation of the previous sentence). All of the pronouns referring to this beast (along with the second beast appearing in 13:11) could be translated as “it” because the word for beast (θηρίον, qhrion) is neuter gender in Greek and all the pronouns related to it are parsed as neuter in the Gramcord/Accordance database. Nevertheless, most interpreters would agree that the beast ultimately represents a human ruler, so beginning at the end of v. 4 the masculine pronouns (“he,” “him,” etc.) are used to refer to the first beast as well as the second beast appearing in 13:11.

[13:1]  ¹¹ tn For the translation of διάδημα (diadhma) as “diadem crown” see L&N 6.196.

[13:1]  ¹² tc ‡ Several mss (A 051 1611 1854 2053 2344 2351 Ï^K) read the plural ὀνόματα (onomata, “[blasphemous] names”), while the singular ὄνομα (onoma, “name”) has somewhat better support (Ì⁴⁷ א C 1006 1841 2329 Ï^A). The plural reading seems motivated by the fact that what is written is written “on its heads.” In the least, it is a clarifying reading. NA²⁷ puts the plural in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.

[21:9]  ¹³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

[21:9]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “with me.” The translation “with me” implies that John was engaged in a dialogue with the one speaking to him (e.g., Jesus or an angel) when in reality it was a one-sided conversation, with John doing all the listening. For this reason, μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ (met’ emou, “with me”) was translated as “to me.” See also v. 15.